Combined shuttle feeler and thread cutter for looms



y 7, 1929- R. w. POTTER 1,712,445

COMBINED SHUTTLE FEELER AND THREAD CUTTER FOR LOOMS Filed March '9, 1925'3 Sheets-Sheet l [mum w w m Pl .Evfzanz 2 2 0272 May 7, 1929. R. w.POTTER COMBINED SHUTTLE FEELER AND THREAD CUTTER FOR LOOMS Filed March9, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 y 1929. I R. w. POTTER 1,712,445 I COMBINEDSHUTTLE FEELER AND THREAD CUTTER FOR 'LOOMS Filed March 9, 1925 '3Sheets-Sheet 3 fiekqrd 2. 27%??? 3 wirrze s Patented May 7, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD W. POTTER, 0F LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 CROMFTON 8tKNOWLES LOOM 7011 118, 01? WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A GORIORATION OFMASSACHUSETTS.

COMBINED SHUTTLEFEELER AND TI'IREAD CU'JPTER FOIVLOOMS.

. ipp icationyfiled March 9, 1925.

This invention relates to a combined shuttle feeler and thread cutterdesigned to cut the outgoing weft, as a .nearlyexhausted weft carrier isejected from the running shuttle of a weft replenishing automatic loom.

It is the object of myinvention to provide acombined shuttle feeler andthread cutter which is exceedingly simple inconstruction and which isreliableva-nd effective inuse.

Another object is to. provide a thread cutter which is .tldViLHCGdEtOoperative position only when a transferis about to occur and which ispromptly removed to inoperative position if the shuttle fails tobeproperly boxed.

A further object is to provide means for grasping-and holding theseveredweft end until a temple thread cutter can sever theweft end atthe selvage.

My invention further relates to arrangements and combinationsofpartswhich will be hereinafter described and-more particularly pointedout in the appended claims.

A preferredform ofthe invention is shown in the drawings in which Fig. 1is a front elevation of my improved shuttle feeler and. thread cutter,theparts being in inoperative orraised position;

Fig. 2 is an end view of certain; parts shown in Fig.1; I f

Fig. 3. is a view similar to:Fig. 1, but showing-the devicein lowered oroperative-position; a T

Fig. 'showsthe same-parts, afterthe lay has advanced and opened thecutter;

Fig. 5 shows the cutter, afterthe cutting operation has-been performed;1

Fig. dis a rear view of the shuttle feeler and thread cutter;

Fig. 7 is asectional elevation, taken along the line 771iniFig. 6 ;..and

Fig. 8 is a sectional plan View, takenalong the line 88 in Fig. 5.

Referring to thedrawings, Ihave shown a shuttle .feeler or; armldmounted for endwisc adjustment onahead 11 which is angularly movableabout aypivot12on a stand 13 fixedon a magazine frame (notshowny Anactuating rod 1 1 is pivoted at 15 to the head 11 andismoved byactuating devices (not shown) tolowcr the shuttleifeeler 10 into thepath of the shuttle s whenever a transfer Serial No. 13,973.

is about to occur. The mechanism for thus actuating the rod 14 iswclllrnown in the art and forms nopart of my present invention.

A lever'16 is pivoted at 17 on the end of the shuttle feeleriarm 10 andis connected at its upper endto a rod 18 loosely sli'dable in 1a lug 19on theiarm 10. A spring 20 surrounds the rod 18 and maintainsthelever 16yieldingly inthe position shown in Figs. 1 and 3. A cutting or severingmember 21 i (Fig. 6) is secured to one side face of the lever' lfi andhas a laterally projecting knife portion 22 which swings past thecutting face of a knife plate 23 which is mounted inareccssedporblOllOftlle end of thearmlO. V j

The lever 16 has ,a laterally projecting clamping portion 25. (Fig.7)adapted to engage'a lug or projection 26.0fthe arm 10 and clamp the weftend after it is severed by the knife members 22 and 23. The lever 16also has a downwardly projecting end portion 30adaptedto be engaged bythe front edge of the day 31 as the latter swings forward. Theilay 31 isprovided with a notch or recess 32 for apurpose to be explained.

The arm 10 is provided with a hub 1O (F ig. w

8) ,throughwhich extends a pin 35 whichis fixed in the lever 16 andtheouter end of whichextends through a close-fitting openinginthecutting member 21.

I will now describe the operation of my new shuttle feeler and threadcutter. The parts are shown in Fig. 1 in their normal position, with thethread cutter and clamping device closedand the shuttle feelerraised toinoperative position. 1

When a transfer is about to occur, the shuttle feeler 10 is swungdownward to the position shown in Fig. 3. If the shuttle S is notproperly boxed, the end of the shuttle will engage the shuttle feeler10, swinging the feeler upward to revoke the transfer and simultaneouslyremoving the thread cutter from operative position. 7

If, however. the shuttle S is properly be engaged by thefront edge ofthe lay and will be swung forwardand upward: to the po sitionindicatedin Fig. 4. At thesaine time, the thread T is advanced with the shuttle Sand is carried into the open awe of the thread l'ioxed, the projection30 of. the lever16 will 'is cut and grasped by the thread cutter, the

shuttle feeler'or arm 10 is engaged by a fixed part of the lay or theshuttle box and is returned to its initial raised position indicated inFig. 1, to which position it will remain until another transfer is aboutto occur.

- It will thus appear that my improved shuttle feeler and thread cutteris exceedingly simple in operation, having only a single movingmember,'and that it is exceedingly reliable, as its single moving memberis actuated by direct contact with the lay as the latermovesforward.

Having described 'my inventlon and the advantages thereof, it will beevident that changes and modifications can be made therein by thoseskilledin the art within the spirit I and scope of my invention as setforth in the claimsfbut I do not wish to be otherwise limited to thedetails herein disclosed.

' What I claim is l i r 1;- In a loom having a lay, a thread cutterhaving jaws opening at theirrea'r .portions, means to open said jaws toreceive a thread therein as the lay moves forwardly, means 7 tothereafter close said jaws, and means to remove said thread cutter by asubstantially vertical movement from operative position,

all during a single continued forward movement of the lay and beforerearward movement of the laybegins.

2. In aloom,a shuttle, a lay, a shuttle feeler mounted to swingsubstantially vertically downward into the path of'the shuttle, threadcutting jaws mounted on said feelers and opening rearward, meansactuated I by the lay to open said jaws on the forward movement of thelay, means to thereafter close said jaws, and means to swing saidshuttle feeler and thread cutter substantially vertically upward out ofthe path of the shuttle during continued forward movement of the lay andbefore rearward movement thereof begins.

3. In a combined shuttle feelerand thread cutter, a swinging arm, a lay,a shuttle therefor, a pivot for the arm located above and to therear ofthe shuttle when the lay is in extreme forward position, a threadcutter, a carrier therefor pivoted on the arm and hav- 7 inga partmounted in" fixed relation thereto and engaged by the lay as the lattermoves forwardlyto open the cutter, and a spring to clo'se saidcutter,said arm, carrier, and cutter being thereafter raised to inoperativeposition above the shuttle during the continued forward movement of thelay.

4. In a thread cutter for looms having a lay and a shuttle, a shuttlefeeler movable substantially vertically toward and from shuttle feelingposition, a thread cutter mounted on the shuttle feeler and comprisingtwo cutter members relatively movable with respect to each other, anextension mounted in fixed relation to one of the members and positionedin the path of the lay when the shuttle feeler is in shuttle feelingposition to be engaged by a part of the lay to cause relative movementof the cutter members to move said members positively to open threadreceiving position, and means operative during the continued forwardmovement of the lay to cause another relative movement of the cuttermembers to cut the thread and to move said members to closed position,said shuttle feeler being moved substantially vertically as the laynears its extreme forward position to carry the cutter members out ofthe path of the shuttle and lay before rearward movement of the laybegins.

5. In a thread cutter for looms havin I a lay and a shuttle, weftreplenishing mec anism, a shuttle feeler pivoted to the re lenishingmechanism at a point located :1 ve and behind the lay when the latter isin its extreme forward position, a pair of cooperating-cutting memberson the feeler one of which is movable with respect to the shuttle feelerand having a portion mounted in fixed relation thereto and dependinginto the path of the lay as the latter moves forwardly and when theshuttle feeler is in lowered shuttle feeling position, said portionbeing moved by direct engagement with the lay to open the cuttingmembers positively, and means effective during the continued forwardmovement of the lay to close said cutting members to sever the weft, theshuttle feeler being raisedas the lay nears its extreme forward positionto carry the cutting members above the path of the shuttle beforerearward movement of the lay begins.

6. In a thread cutter for looms havin a lay and a shuttle, weftreplenishing mec anism, a shuttle feeler pivoted to the replenishingmechanism at a point located above and behind the lay when the latter isin its extreme forward position, a pair of cooperating cutting memberson the feeler one of which is movable with respect to the shuttle feelerand having a portion mounted in fixed relation thereto and dependinginto the path of the lay as the latter moves forwardly and when theshuttle feeler is in lowered shuttle feeling position, said portionbeing moved by direct engagement with the lay to open the cuttingmembers positively, means effective during the forward movement of thelay toclose said cutting members to sever the weft, the shuttle feelerbeing raised as the to the shuttle feeler to hold one end of the laynears its extreme forward position to thread after the severingoperation and to carry the cutting members above the path of raise thesame as the shuttle feeler moves 10 the shuttle before rearward movementof the above the path of the shuttle.

5 lay begins, andafilling thread clamp mounted In testimony whereof Ihave hereunto afin part on the shuttle feeler and in part 011 fixed mysignature. the cutter member and movable with respect RICHARD W. POTTER.

